Woman refuses to help out pregnant coworker on bed rest. 'I have my own life too.' AITA?
"AITA for not helping my pregnant coworker?"
I (F27) work in a team of 5. One of the members, let's call her Ava is pregnant. Our company allows only 6 months paid maternity leave. Ava has been having a rough pregnancy and has been ordered bed rest by her doctor. She is only in her second trimester.
But she has already been calling in sick a lot and has extingushed her paid sick leaves. Her and her husband is renting and are not doing great financially. They need her income for the next 5 months till baby is due and she can officially go on paid maternity leave.
Our boss asked us to figure it out. We cannot actually do our work remotely. To enable her to work remotely, we will have to dedicate hours of our work time working on behalf of her physically and gathering info she requires.
It will be very difficult to do and to complete our own work, we will have to work additional hours. Our company don't pay overtime.
All others in my team already have family and kids. I am the only one without kids or as others said, responsibilities. They asked me to do the additional work to help Ava out.
I said no. I sympathize with Ava. But she made a decision to have a baby and I cannot work extra hours everyday to help her. They said I was being an AH for not helping. I told them if they cared so much, let us all help together. Then everyone will fewer extra hours to work.
They complained they cannot since they have family to get back to and responsibilities. I said I have my own life too. Either we all help together, taking turns or we dont help. I am not going to sacrifice all my days for her.
None of them want to help and I let our boss know. He hired a temporary replacement for Ava. Ava and rest of my collegues are calling me a AH now. AITA?
Here's what the top commenters had to say:
tealcandtrip said:
NTA and not your problem. It is the boss’s problem to make sure the work is done and the company’s problem to make sure they hire enough staffing to complete all the work. Surprise surprise.
When the employees refused to take a bunch of extra work for no pay, they were forced to hire another staff member, which is what they should have done all along.
Countess_Sardine said:
NTA, but your employer and coworkers sure as hell are. Also, if you're getting paid hourly, you cannot be required to work without compensation.
christina0001 said:
NTA the extra work needs to be divided evenly, not dumped on one employee. Your coworkers are being a$%es.
WhatTheFoxWrites said:
NTA. Pregnancy is a choice. If you're to do Ava's work for her then you should get her pay in addition to your own. Your boss made the right call in hiring a temporary replacement. Your coworkers need to start giving your lifestyle choices the same respect that they demand you give theirs.
SuperPookypower said:
When your boss said "figure it out", he pretty much meant for you to do her work for her. Welcome to the world of the childless employee in today's workplace. Your life is not as important as anyone else's because you do not have children, the only thing that is of any value in the eyes of many people with children.
You are lesser than them. It's not your obligation to do her work for her for any reason, including whatever her personal issues are. NTA.
UndeadWithoutCoffee said:
Ava is not exactly entitled for wanting sick leave if she is on bedrest. Heck where I live paid sick leave is the norm. The land of the free, where you can go bankrupt because you are ill or god forbid pregnant. Obviously OP is still NTA.